Emile stranger and alfred chobert



(No Model.)

B. BERANGER & A. GHOBERT. CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLE FRAMES.

' No. 595,035. Patented De0.7,1897.

UNrrFn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE BERANGER AND ALFRED CHOBERT, OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

CONSTRUCTION OF BICYCLE-FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,035, dated December 7, 1897.

Application filed J l 6, 1896. Serial No. 598,120. (No model.) Patented in Belgium May 8, 1894 No. 109,867, and in France June 25.1894, No. 239,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMILE BERANGER, of 5 Rue Keyenveld, and ALFRED CHOBERT, of 23 Rue des Longs-Chariots, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Frames for Bicycles and the Like Vehicles, (for which we have obtained Letters Patent of Belgium, No. 109,867, dated May 8, 1894:, and of France, No. 239,561, dated June 25, 1894,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is the manufacture of tubes for velocipede, bicycle, and similar frames by means of a blank cut or stamped out of sheet metal, the edges of which are dovetailed, the ends being at the same time stamped into the shape of tongues in order to form an eyelet through which another tube may be passed, thus joining the different parts of the frame without the use of separate connections, and to so arrange and place said eyelet and the joint between the tongues whereby said eyelet is formed with reference to the dovetailed joint that strains imparted to a frame so constructed will not injuriously affect either of said joints.

A further object is to thoroughly brace one tube against the other, joined together as indicated.

The chief advantages of this construction are the cheapness of sheet metal compared to the price of drawn tubes, and the lightness of the frames from avoiding the heavy cast or wrought iron connections, and the strength and rigidity imparted to such frames owing to our improvements.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we shall explain it with reference to the annexed drawings.

Figure 1 represents a blank cut or stamped out of sheet metal and ready for bending into tube shape. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank bent into U shape, and Fig. 3 is a view of a short tube closed up with another tube passed through the eyelet thus formed at each end.

a a are the dovetailed edges, 1) b the tongues at each end where an eyelet has to be formed, and c is a little shoulder by means of which better support is given to the tube inserted into the eyelet.

After the blank shown on Fig. 1 has been cut or stamped out of sheet steel or other metal it is first bent into the U shape shown on Fig. 2, and the longitudinal edges are then closed up by means of a tool similar to those used for rolling and closing hinges. The hammering of the metal by this tool gives it a rigidity similar to that of a drawn tube, and the tube thus formed will have no tendency to open even without soldering. The tongues b b at the end of the tube are now bent over the tube which has to be connected to the former, and the joint between the two tongues b and b is soldered. Tongues b b are substantially T-shaped, the axes of said Ts eX- tending from the end of the blank in directions approximately parallel with said dovetailed edges, so as to place their outer wide portions either in line with each other or parallel with each other and crosswise with reference to the direction of the dovetailed edges, so that when said tongues are curved to' embrace a tube to which they are to be joined said wide portions will overlap each other, and when soldered or otherwise joined together may be made to form a long and rigid joint parallel and in contact with such second tube in such manner that said joint will be placed substantially in a plane tangential with said second tubeand running crosswise with reference to the tangential plane on the first tube in which the dovetailed joint above referred to is located. By thus locating the two joints with reference to each other and with reference to the tubes a frame of great strength and rigidity may be constructed, as the joint between the two tongues 11 Z), assisted also by shoulder 0, will prevent the deflection of the second tube, against which they rest at the junction of the two tubes, and will thus guard against injuriously straining the first tube and its dovetailed joint.

WVhat we claim as our invention is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet metal blank for forming tubes for velocipede, bicycle and similar frames, having dovetailed longitudinal edges and a pair of tongues having their free ends placed crosswise with ref- 3. The combination with a sheet-metal tube having a longitudinal dovetailed connectingjoint and a pair of tongues at its end integral with the blank and bent to form an eyelet, of another tube inserted through said eyelet with the joint between the tongues soldered, said joint placed in a plane running crosswise to and intersected by a plane in which said dovetailed joint is located, substantially as set forth.

4. In tubes for velocipede, bicycle and similar frarnes, made out of flat metal blanks with "dovetailed longitudinal edges, a pair of tongues b b at the end of the blank, intended to be bent over another tube, which has to be connected with the first one, so as to form an eyelet for this second tube, and an auxiliary shoulder a for further supporting said second tube, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

EMILE BERANGER.

ALFRED CHOBERT.

Witnesses: v

AUGUSTE DEBARSTER, GREGORY PHELAN. 

